Dévoluy, hiking in the land of the giants of the pre-Alps
In summary
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Sports
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Duration7 days
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LevelConfirmed
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DestinationDrome / Jarjatte Valley
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AgeFrom 14 - 90 years
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CO₂-Emissions79.2 kg CO2
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Type of stayIn a group
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Languages
French
In a few words
The Dévoluy is a land of light, alpine pastures, and towering limestone cliffs. A hidden gem, it's a mountain range with a strong identity and unique landscapes. Embark on a 360° journey through the most beautiful hikes in the Dévoluy and its most iconic sites: the oldest chapel in the Hautes-Alpes, "Mère Église," the powerful resurgence of Les Gillardes... Based from two accommodations, this trip allows you to hike light under the watchful gaze of peaks that nearly reach 3,000 meters : the Pic de Bure, the Grand-Ferrand, the Obiou...
The highlights
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The most beautiful hikes in Dévoluy with light packs and comfort.
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Discovering the iconic heritage and natural sites of Dévoluy.
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Groups of up to 8 people guided by a local guide.
Photos
Sport
Level
Hiking / Trekking
The expert's opinion
This trip is level 2. The outings take place in mountainous terrain. This level is suitable for a wide range of hikers. However, it is necessary to have:
- regular sports activities or hiking,
- a reasonable level of physical fitness allowing for regular walking at an average pace of 250m of positive elevation gain per hour, excluding breaks;
- sufficient balance and motor skills to make occasional progress on uneven, sloping terrain and which may include off-trail sections.
In figures
Hiking
- Average duration/day: 7h
- Average distance/day: 11 km
- Average daily elevation gain: 698 m
- Average daily descent: 726 m
- Maximum altitude: 2600 m
- Exposed Passages: Yes
Management
French
For 20 years, Jean-Marc Jacquet has been based in the protected valley of La Jarjatte, where he has designed hiking trips to showcase the exceptional potential of the region: Dévoluy, Southern Vercors, Trièves, Buëch, and Haut-Diois. Several decades of mountaineering and 15 years of experience as a Mountain Guide have given him countless anecdotes to share about his passion: the mountains. Geology, prehistory, fauna, flora, local life… 180 days a year, he leads you on the trails with the same enthusiasm for sharing and conviviality.
Program
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Welcome
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast not included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner included
Check-in from 4pm or, if you are coming by train, at Lus la Croix-Haute station during afternoon arrival times.
At 6:30 p.m., we meet to study the program.
Clairette de l'amitié before the meal.
Day 1 -
Between Ormans and Garnesier: the Pas l'Agneau
- Transportation Minibus - 00h15 - 10km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 10 km
- Positive elevation gain 750 m
- Negative elevation 750 m
- Maximum altitude 2350 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
The Durbon estate was owned by Carthusian monks for seven centuries. They shaped its forests and alpine pastures. It is here that our first outing in the Dévoluy region takes place. We ascend the Garnesier valley, passing from deep beech and fir forests to short, high-altitude grasslands. Larches and mountain pines gradually disappear, and we find ourselves in the alpine zone, in the mineral world of the high altitudes of the Dévoluy. The Pas l'Agneau pass offers us a vast platform suspended between the Tête des Ormans and the Tête de Garnesier peaks. The views over the Dévoluy and the back of the Aiguilles de La Jarjatte are spectacular.
Day 2 -
Directly below the Pic de Bure, the valley of Âne
- Transportation Minibus - 01h - 60km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 10 km
- Positive elevation gain 630 m
- Negative elevation 630 m
- Maximum altitude 2086 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
An earlier departure by minibus takes us just above Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy. We are at the foot of the Aurouze mountain and its highest point: the Pic de Bure. A good path leads us directly to the summit, whose vast, rocky plateau is home to the IRAM astronomical telescopes. We leave the path to venture into the high-altitude meadows above the Vallon d'Âne. The goal is to get as close as possible to the eastern pillar of the Pic de Bure, a magnificent, striking rock formation that immediately captures the eye.
Note:
- You retain your rooms at Valgabondage in La Jarjatte.
- Your spare bag will be transported to you by minibus for the two nights in Dévoluy.
Day 3 -
As close as possible to L'Obiou
- Transportation Minibus - 00h20 - 15km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 10 km
- Positive elevation gain 690 m
- Negative elevation 690 m
- Maximum altitude 2600 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
At 2,789 meters, L'Obiou is the highest point of the limestone massifs that precede the great crystalline massifs. A beautiful hike through vast alpine pastures brings us close to its walls, sculpted by erosion and riddled with caves and fossil springs. We climb to Le Bénitier, a gigantic, verdant depression that precedes the mineral world of the summit slopes and walls. Having returned from the high peaks, we take advantage of the descent to visit one of the most important Vauclusian springs in France, Les Gillardes, and the charming chapel of Mère Église.
Day 4 -
Lake Lauzon
- Transportation Minibus - 00h15 - 12km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 12 km
- Positive elevation gain 750 m
- Negative elevation 920 m
- Maximum altitude 2100 m
- Exposed passages Yes
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Today we're returning to La Jarjatte on foot! A superb hike takes us close to the Grand-Ferrand, the second highest peak in the Dévoluy massif. At the Col du Charnier pass, we descend into the La Jarjatte valley. We stop for a break by the only lake in the limestone pre-Alps: Lac du Lauzon. This small body of water, seemingly on borrowed time, has sediments that carefully preserve 6,000 years of pastoral history in the massif. We return to our rooms in La Jarjatte.
Day 5 -
The Col des Aiguilles
- Transportation Minibus - 00h05 - 2km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 12 km
- Positive elevation gain 670 m
- Negative elevation 640 m
- Maximum altitude 2001 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
This morning we set off on foot to reach the heart of the Dévoluy region. We climb towards the dolomitic peaks that overlook the La Jarjatte valley: undoubtedly one of the most spectacular landscapes in the pre-Alps. This splendid route takes us over the Col des Aiguilles pass and into the bucolic valley that descends towards the Col du Festre pass. We find our vehicle, which we left the day before. Return to La Jarjatte.
Day 6 -
End of stay
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner not included
The stay ends after breakfast.
We will organize your departure and any transfer to the station at the time of your choice.
The rooms are vacated but the communal areas remain accessible to you while you wait for your departure.
Day 7
Note
For organizational reasons, weather conditions or the fitness of participants, we may need to adapt the program to ensure your safety and the success of the stay.
Accommodation
- The 4 nights at La Jarjatte
You are welcomed to a spacious, family-run house with 14 bedrooms. The weekly capacity is 16 to 20 people, divided into two groups following different activity programs. A large common room is available for meals and socializing. A lounge with a library and terraces facing various directions offer spaces for relaxation and contemplation of the surrounding nature. The main building, of modern design, was conceived in the spirit of local mountain architecture and blends into the spectacular surrounding landscape. It is heated by wood energy sourced from the region's extensive forests.
Note: the images on this page relate to accommodation in La Jarjatte.
- The 2 nights in Dévoluy
We always offer the best available accommodation. However, depending on the time of year and the availability of hosts, we will offer you rooms or shared accommodation. We cannot always guarantee private rooms for these two nights.
Access
If you are travelling by train, we will ensure you are dropped off at Lus la Croix-Haute station on the day of departure.
Go to the starting point
TER Grenoble-Gap line
Arrival: We will meet you at the station during the afternoon hours.
Departure: We will take you to the train station. The house will remain at your disposal until your departure time.
Price details
The price includes
- Full board: from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7
- Welcome drinks on the first evening
- Walking sticks available
- The supervision and activities described
- Registration fees
- The tourist tax.
The price does not include
- Drinks including wine at the table
- The optional picnic on departure day
Options
- Private room with en-suite bathroom : CHF100.63 / person
- Flex fare and insurance
Practical information
Specific formalities
Specifics
- Your identity documents.
- Your health insurance card.
- A health and contact information form will be given to you upon arrival: you will keep it in your backpack.
Equipment
Equipment provided on site
Hiking poles.
Equipment to bring
- Low or high hiking boots, but with soles in good condition
- Backpack of approximately 30 liters
- Headlamp
- Gourd
- A sleeping bag liner for the two nights in Dévoluy
- A small travel bag for spare clothes during the two days in Dévoluy.
Clothing to bring
- Comfortable trousers for walking
- A short
- T-shirts
- Undershirt
- Sweater
- Waterproof jacket with hood
- Thin gloves
- Cap
- Sun protection
- Sunglasses
- Walking sticks
